L.A. Getaway: Pacific Northwest Wonder
We love L.A., we also love getting away for short breaks and then returning home. A recent getaway included all the elements of low-stress transportation, pampering accommodations, an international border crossing, exquisite scenery, and both wine country and brewpubs.
Day 1: Grab a quick-and-easy nonstop flight from LAX to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Grab a cab or the quick-and-easy Downtown Airporter (www.graylineseattle.com/airportexpress1.cfm) into the city center. Walk or take a connector service to the Pan Pacific Seattle (www.panpacific.com/Seattle) having reserved one of the stylish rooms that face the Space Needle. Bedding is simply the softest and most comfortable I've ever slept on: 100-percent Egyptian cotton in a micro-check; feather pillows; and a mohair throw on the bed. Views all around, naturally. You can even opt for a view from the deep soaking tub with windows that open into the guestroom. YU'I brand amenities, made especially for the Pan Pacific, include tubes of bath gel and shoe mitts, and premium rooms provide loofahs, bath salts, and dental kits. Convenient to downtown and area attractions, the calming Pan Pacific is part of a mixed-use development with residences, Starbucks, and a Whole Foods gourmet grocery store. And, of course, there are 32-inch plasma HDTVs and complimentary wireless Internet access in the guestrooms.
Day 2: If you've packed lightly, you can just roll your suitcase down to Pier 69 where the Victoria Clipper catamaran (www.clippervacations.com) will ferry you to British Columbia's picture-perfect capital city of Victoria. Arrive early, check in your bags, and take a cab or walk over to historic Pike Place Market (www.pikeplacemarket.org), in operation for more than 100 years and packed with restaurants, boutiques, arts, crafts, and--of course--fresh produce, fish, and other edibles. Make your way back to the pier for a mid-afternoon sail, through Puget Sound, and into Victoria's super-scenic Inner Harbour. After going through simple Canadian customs and immigration procedures, roll your bag over to your home for the next 2-3 days: the grand-dame Fairmont Empress (www.fairmont.com/empress), which celebrates its centennial birthday this year. For a special splurge for your special getaway, book a Fairmont Gold room that includes the use of an exclusive living-room style lounge where deluxe Continental breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres are served (think things like chef's special eggs, flaky croissants, freshly made muesli, and seemingly endless slices of smoked salmon). All guestrooms and suites are wonderfully appointed, but a harbour-view junior suite on the upper floor is the ultimate: lovely antique and reproduction furnishings; white-on-white bedding; windows that open to sights of colorful watercraft, landing seaplanes, and waterfront activity. You might be tempted to just live in the bathroom with its temperature-controlled marble floor, heated towel rack, and deep jetted tub. Heaven! And, lest you've been living under a rock, the Empress is famous for its proper and delectable afternoon tea service (reservations recommended, but your personal concierge can take care of that detail!).
Days 2-4: Explore the cool sights of Victoria such as the Royal British Columbia Museum (www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca); Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (www.aggv.bc.ca); and the many interesting downtown districts, packed with unique shops, galleries, restaurants, and pubs. You'll even happen across Canada's oldest Chinatown, home to Fan Tan Alley (Canada's narrowest street) and Tam Kung (Canada's oldest Chinese temple). Rent a car and explore legendary Butchart Gardens (www.butchartgardens.com) with 55 acres of amazing floral displays; taste your way through the 10 regions of the Wine Islands (www.wineislands.ca), or venture farther afield in the Cowichan Valley with producers of fine wines, balsamic vinegars, cheeses, vegetables, and other delights. Depart Victoria the way you came, on a late-morning catamaran with views of the Olympic Mountains, arriving in Seattle in early afternoon. You'll be back in L.A. in time for bed and plenty of sweet dreams.
For more information:
www.tourismvictoria.com
www.VancouverIsland.Travel